Soil aeration is a conventional technique used by groundskeepers to reduce compaction in the ground soil, stimulate plant growth, and promote proper drainage. Soil may become compacted from overuse or environmental effects, which ultimately affects the soil permeability and development of rooted plants within the soil. In particular, compacted soil restricts the amount of oxygen that can enter the soil and the amount of carbon dioxide that can escape. Not all soils are affected equally by overuse and environmental factors. The amount of compaction depends on soil composition, the amount of vegetation, and the moisture content of the soil. Periodic soil aeration relieves the compaction in the soil before the negative effects overburden the soil to the point that it can no longer support desirable vegetation.
In general, soil aerators use end-coring tubes that penetrate the ground and remove “plugs” of soil. When the coring tubes impact hard objects, such as large rocks in the soil, the shock may be absorbed entirely by the coring tubes and the drive system. Because the coring tubes and the drive system are coupled to generally rigid components, the impact with hard objects or a hardened ground surface may retard the motion of the coring tubes and may cause significant damage to the coring tubes or drive components.
Commercial soil aerators conventionally have a three point hydraulic hitch device similar in operational principal to the three point hitches used on commercial snow plows. The three point hitch supports the aerator and serves to raise and lower the device relative to the ground surface. To disengage the coring tubes from the soil, the entire aerator is raised off the ground with the three point hitch. Such hitch systems generally do not pivot, meaning that the aerator does not rotate relative to the tractor. Accordingly, the tractor operator also uses the lift device to lift the entire soil aerator machine from the ground surface before attempting to turn the tractor. Otherwise, the aerator would swing behind the tractor, causing the coring tubes to tear through the soil.